questRelated word or term.sidequestRelated word or term.
Player characterA player character (PC), also known as a playable character, is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a gamemaster (GM) refereeing tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions ...
Role-playing video gameRole-playing video games (RPGs), also known as computer role-playing games (CRPGs), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills). Role-playing games almost always feature combat as a defining feature and traditionally used turn-based combat; however, modern role-playing games commonly feature real-time action combat or even non-violent forms of conflict resolution (with some eschewing combat altoget...
Non-player characterA non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster, or referee, rather than by another player. In video games, this term usually means a computer-controlled character that has a predetermined set of behaviors that potentially will impact gameplay.
Party (role-playing games)A party is a group of characters adventuring together in a role-playing game. In tabletop role-playing, a party is composed of a group of player characters, occasionally with the addition of non-player character allies controlled by those players or by the gamemaster. In computer games, the relationship between the party and the players varies considerably. Online role-playing games parties often comprise player-controlled characters, as in tabletop games, except that the non-player allies are always controlled ...
Experience pointAn experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experience points are generally awarded for the completion of objectives, overcoming obstacles and opponents, and successful role-playing. In many RPGs, characters start as fairly weak and untrained. When a sufficient amount of experience is obtained, the character "levels up", ...
Item (game terminology)In pen and paper games and video games, an item (sometimes called a pick-up) is an object within the game world that can be collected by a player or, occasionally, a non-player character. Items are most often beneficial to the player character, providing resources such as health, ammunition, or score points. Some games contain detrimental or negative items, such as cursed armor that confers penalties or hazardous environmental pickups. Other items may hold no intrinsic value or serve purely cosmetic functions. I...
Loot (video games)In video games, loot is the collection of items picked up by the player character that increase their power or level up their abilities, such as currency, spells, equipment and weapons. Loot is meant to reward the player for progressing in the game, and can be of superior quality to items that can be purchased. It can also be part of an upgrade system that permanently increases the player's abilities. Loot boxes are a particular type of randomized loot system that consists of boxes that can be unlocked through n...
Video gameA video game, computer game, or simply game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual feedback from a display device, most commonly shown in a video format on a television set, computer monitor, flat-panel display or touchscreen on handheld devices, or a virtual reality headset. Most modern video games are audiovisual, with audio complement delivered through speakers or headphones, ...
Massively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, sometimes referred to as an MMOG, is an online video game with a large number of players to interact in the same online game world. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent open world, although there are games that differ. These games can be found for most network-capable platforms, including the personal computer, video game console, or smartphones and other mobile devices. MMOs can enable players to cooperate and compete with each other on a large scale, and sometimes ...
Game mechanicsIn tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, while a ludeme is an element of play, such as the L-shaped move of the knight in chess. The interplay of various mechanics determines the game's complexity and how the players interact with the game. All games use game mechanics; however, different theories disagree abou...
Plot (narrative)The plot is the series of related events in a narrative. So, each event (except the final one) affects at least one other. Plot may be synonymous with storyline. Simple plots, such as in a traditional ballad, can be linearly sequenced, but plots can also exhibit complex interwoven structures, with each part sometimes referred to as a subplot. E. M. Forster described plot events as relating through the principle of cause-and-effect; the causal events of a plot can be thought of as a selective collection of events...
Level (video games)In video games, a level (also referred to as a map, mission, stage, course, zone, area, or round, depending on context) is any space available to the player during the course of completion of an objective. Video game levels generally have progressively increasing difficulty to appeal to players with different skill levels. Each level may present new concepts and challenges to keep a player's interest high to play for a long time. In games with linear progression, levels can represent areas of a larger world, suc...*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.